Automobile radiator attachment



O. R. G. MUHLENBRUCH AUTOMOBILE RADIATOR ATTACHMENT Filed Nov. 20, 1920 I VITNESSES;

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Patented es. 3Q, 1924,

OTTO B. G. MUHLENBRUCH, 0 DE ELTUR, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMOBILE RADIATQR ATTACHMENT.

Application filed. November 20, 1926. Serial No. 425,184.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Orro B. Gr. MUHLEN- BRUCE, citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Decatur, in the county of Macon and State of Illinois, have invented cer-' ject the provision of means which under 7 fine or conserve the heat, and render more easy the starting of the engine.

The invention comprises either as a permanent part of a machine or as an attachment therefor, as will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, a casing or covering portion mounted to occupy a position in ad Vance of the ordinary radiator and provided with adjustable valved openings through which air may be admitted to the radiator, as well as an open bottom portion provided with a closure, also of an adjustable character, preferably adjustable in consonance with the adjustment of the valves for the front openings. I

The invention also embraces the provision of a deflector or shield interposed behind the front openings, and in front of the radiator 'to deflect the admitted air in an up ward directionbefore contact with the radiator'to preclude the admission of water or moisture to the radiator, and permitting the drippings to escape exteriorly of the machine and away from the radiator and the attachment.

Improved details in construction and arrangement of parts will be apparent from the specific description hereinafter contained when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming part hereof and wherein the preferred embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated.

In the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a face view of the attachment as applied to a conventional type of n'otor vehicle, the parts of the latter, unnecessary for an understanding of the invention, being omitted, and parts being broken away to show interior construction Figure 2 is a view showing the radiator in elevation and the attachment in section: and, y I

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side view of the machine, parts being broken away to also better show interior construction and arrangement.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, A represents a radiator of any ordinary or preferred type having the usual water-filling opening B.

In advance of this radiator I secure or mount in any manner-found expedient, a metallic housing or casing l, conveniently with a soft packing strip 13 interposed between the rear open end. thereof and the radiator casing, as will be clear, bothfor the purpose of preventing rattling and preserving the surface finish of the radiator casing.

The casing or housingl, save ashereafter noted, is closed at its top, sides and front, all preferably by a struck-up formation of the single piece of metal of which the same is composed, the bottom being open.

The front of the casing or housing 1 is provided with a plurality of openings 25 of any shape, arrangement or number .found desirable through which air may pass and gain access to the radiator A, for the purpose of cooling the same after the usual manner. Behind the open portions 25 I arrange a number of valves 3, in number equal to the number of openings 25, and as shown, these valves are of what are known as the butterfly type, being formed radially of a disc, centrally fixed to a shaft 4, pivotally mounted in the front of the casing 1, so that upon rotation of the shaft the openings 25 will beclosed or opened to the extent desired. 2 is a combined deflector and drip trough secured along its opposite side edges to the side walls of the casing 1 and at its forward edge,-ofi:set as at 2",to the front wall of the casing, so that a trough formation is constituted inclining in opposite directions from its central point outwardly towards the opposite lower corners of the casing, and terminating in outlet openings or spouts 23. As shown the rotatable shaft 4 passes loosely through the deflector or bafile 2, the purpose of the latter being to cause the incoming air to pass upwardly. over the deflector, Which is open at the upper edge, and downwardly therebehind through the radiator.

At the open bottom of the casing l 1 pro vide a closure 7 pivoted at 7* to the back of the front wall of the casing, said closure being preferably intended, and so' connected as to operate in keeping with the operation of the valves 3, that is, as said valves are opened to expose more or less of the ope'm V ings 25, the closure 7 will be swung on its hinge to correspondingly open and close the bottom opening in a path of movement 1ndicated by the dotted line at 24. To effect V convenient place on the frame of the mathis result the valve shaftft has at its inner end a crank 5 adjustably fixed in position by a nut '5" engaging a reduced threaded portion of the shaft 4:, as shown in Figure 3, to which crank a link 6 is loosely connected at its upper end, the lowerend being pivoted to the upper face near the freeedge of the.

closure 7. Depending from the closure also adjacent to said free edge is an offset arm or lug 8 to which one end of an approxlmately horizontally disposed link 9 is pivoted, the other end of this particular link being in turn pivoted to one arm of a bellcrank lever 10' pivotally mounted at any chine, as indicated at 11. The other arm of the bell-crank lever 10 is pivoted to an actuating rod 12 running approximately parallel to the supporting sleeve or steering post support 13, of the machine, along which latter' an adjustable bracket 14 may be moved and fixed in operative association with the other parts of the mechanism, said bracket carrying a pivoted lever 15 having a latch executed of even date herewith.

16 to engage suitably notched portions of a sector on the bracket, this particular con--- 1 structlon not being necessary to be elaborated upon in the present case, in view of the fact that it more properly constitutes the subject matter of a divisional application Of course the operating rod 12 is pivoted to the lever 15.

Fromithe foregoing description it will be readily understood that by releasing the latch 16 and operating the lever 15, the various connections will simultaneously open or close the closure 7 and the valves3. In

warm weather theopenings will be completely exposed for the passage of air and as the Weather cools the unobstructed por-v tions of the openings. may be gradually reduced to impede'the admission of air, and in very cold weather the openings may be com pletely closed, especially when the car is at a standstill or in a garage when the heat will be retained around the radiator and thus facilitate the starting up of the engine. At all times when the valves 25 are open, irrespective of the extent of opening, the deflector or battle 2 will prevent rain, snow or w the like being drawn into the radiator or the machine parts therebeyonchthe moisture or drip being caught on the face of the'deflector and permitted thereby to run down into the oppositely inclining trough portions 2* and out of the outlets 23.

lVhileI have herein disclosed one'particu- I lar embodiment of the invention it will be apparent to workers in the art that theinvention is capable of'embodimentin still other forms and devices;

Having thus described the 'inventioinwhat claim is:

' 1. The combination witlranautomobile:

radiator, of a removable casingmounted in front of the same hav ng'sultable passage for air, and a deflector carried by the cas ing, said deflector bridging said passage and interposed between the same and the radiator, for the purpose described. 1 r

2. The comb nation w1th an automobile radiator, of a casing mounted infront of the same having suitable passage for air, a

deflector bridging said passage and interposed between thesame'and the radiator, and a trough adapted'to receive the drip from said deflector and to discharge the same away from the machine.

radiator, of a casing'mounted inzfro'nt of the same havingsuitable.passage'for air, a deflector bridging said passage and inter posed between the same andthe radiator, and a trough adapted to rece-ive the drip from said deflector and to discharge the 3. The combination with an automobile same away from the machine, saidtrough 7 being inclined in opposite directions clowning.

an automobile, ofa casingmounted in front of the same having a sultable air inlet open 'ing, and means interposed betweensaid' in front of the same and provided with air passages in thefront and bottom thereof, means carried by the casing for openingwardly towardsthe opposite sides of the cas- 4. The combination" with'the radiator'of.

and closing the front and the bottom passages, and means for operating said opening and closing means.

'7". An attachment for automobile radiators comprising a casing having air passages in the front thereof and an air passage in the bottom, a deflector secured to and carried by the casing and spaced from the inner face of the front thereof, said deflector extending behind the passages in the front of the casing and formed at the bottom With a trough, means interposed in front of the deflector for closing the air passages in the front of the casing and means for closing the passage at the bottom of the casing.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OTTO R. G. MUHLENBRUCH. 

